Ellis - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres fall apart late in loss to Flames: ‘Some of the guys wanted it easy’

BUFFALO – For a while in Wednesday’s wretched 6-2 loss to the hapless Calgary Flames, it felt like the Sabres would avoid disaster and defeat the NHL’s worst team.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, they raced back and tied the game late in the second before the crowd of 15,213 fans in KeyBank Center.

Against the league’s lowest-scoring team that was playing its backup goalie a night after losing by three goals ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Michael Kesselring out ‘weeks’ with injury; Zach Benson ‘doing well’

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring, who left Saturday’s game after suffering a lower-body injury, will be sidelined “an extended period of time,” coach Lindy Ruff said.

“On the longer side,” Ruff said following Tuesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “Weeks.”

Kesselring, 25, left the Sabres’ 5-4 overtime win in Detroit after he hit Red Wings forward Emmitt Finnie about halfway through the game. He took another shift later in the second period and one early ... Read the full article

Rookies Noah Ostlund, Colten Ellis lead Sabres to complete win over Oilers: ‘Probably our best game’

BUFFALO – In the next week or so, two of the Sabres’ top forwards, Josh Norris and Jason Zucker, should be ready to play, meaning some difficult roster decisions will likely materialize.

After center Noah Ostlund’s slick two-goal performance in Monday’s 5-1 shellacking of the Edmonton Oilers, it’s hard to imagine the Sabres will create room by sending the rookie back to the Rochester Americans.

Ostlund, 21, dazzled in his 11th NHL game this season ... Read the full article

After early goalie change, will Sabres start Alex Lyon, UPL or Colten Ellis?

Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s decision to yank goalie Alex Lyon barely six minutes into Thursday’s 6-3 road loss wasn’t performance-related.

“It had nothing to do with Lyon,” Ruff told reporters following the game against the Colorado Avalanche.

No, with the Sabres trailing 2-0 – Martin Necas scored on a breakaway at the 52-second mark before Artturi Lehkonen converted a rebound at the net – replacing Lyon with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen essentially gave them a much-needed ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi pulled from game during career-worst slump with Rochester: ‘He’s got to be better’

ROCHESTER – The fifth puck past Americans goalie Devon Levi, a shot from the far bottom of the right circle, forced coach Mike Leone to make a late goaltending change.

For the just the second time in his 76-game AHL career, Levi, the Buffalo Sabres’ top goalie prospect, got yanked from a game.

In Wednesday’s 6-4 loss in Blue Cross Arena, the Amerks roared back late, scoring three straight goals after the Belleville Senators ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jiri Kulich to miss ‘significant time’ with blood clot issue

BUFFALO – Sabres center Jiri Kulich will miss “significant time” because of a blood clot issue, coach Lindy Ruff said, the latest blow for a team decimated by injuries and illness.

“I’m not going to go any further into details, but pretty serious,” Ruff said following Monday’s morning’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter.

Kulich, 21, has missed the last three games. The clot was discovered when he underwent additional testing after fluid built up in his ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson confident after ‘dark days;’ Zach Benson sidelined

BUFFALO – In the most trying season of his career, Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson experienced what he called some “dark days.”

When he wasn’t injured, at times, he performed so poorly coach Lindy Ruff scratched him. In January, he was on the ice when the Sabres let New Jersey Devils winger Stefan Noesen get away with hitting winger Tage Thompson in the head and concussing him.

The 6-foot-4, 229-pound Samuelsson bore the brunt of the ... Read the full article

As UPL finds game, Sabres goalie Alex Lyon makes strong case for more starts

BUFFALO – Following one game serving as Alex Lyon’s backup, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen said he will play again tonight against the St. Louis Blues, his second nod in the last three games but just his third this season.

As the Finn, 26, recently recovered from two lower-body injuries, Lyon, 32, emerged as the Sabres’ workhorse and early-season MVP.

Now, Luukkonen, fresh off Saturday’s stellar 31-save outing in which he stopped all five shootout attempts ... Read the full article

JJ Peterka won’t say if he wanted to be traded from Sabres: ‘Focus is on Utah’

BUFFALO – Utah Mammoth winger JJ Peterka wanted no part of the questions and revisiting that part of his past here.

Before the Sabres traded him on June 26, did he request to be dealt? Did he want out of Buffalo?

“I met so many great people in the organization,” Peterka replied prior to Tuesday’s game, his first at KeyBank Center as a visitor. “I made so many good friends. But, yeah, I think ... Read the full article

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stars in Sabres’ shootout win; Isak Rosen scores first NHL goal

BUFFALO – Two days before Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s splendid 33-save outing in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout win, coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged the Finn, having recently missed so much time, likely wasn’t ready to be a big difference-maker.

Luukkonen, who on Saturday made just his second NHL start this season and first in a week, has spent most of the last two months battling two lower-body injuries.

In his absence, veteran Alex Lyon quickly emerged as ... Read the full article